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Foreword |
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Introduction |
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Cast of Characters |
| 1 |
Becoming Healthier Families |
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Healthy Does Not Mean Perfect • How Society Supports the Generation Gap • The Price of Alienation • Hope • What You Can Do |
| 2 |
Voicing the Issues |
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When It’s Time to Regroup • No Simple Answers • Telling Your Story • Surprising Perks |
| 3 |
Gathering Perspectives |
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What Do Your Feelings Say? • What Would People Think? • Realistic Expectations of Yourself • Nature versus Nurture • Parents of Parents • Your Family Tree • Why Do You Want to Help? • Your Ideal |
| 4 |
The Cycle of Life |
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Adult Stages • When Parental Stages Clash with
Children’s • Growth Through Self-Reflection • The Transition from Adolescence
to Adulthood • Moving into the Older Generation |
| 5 |
Evaluating the Relationship with Your Child |
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Recalling the Magic of the Newborn • Becoming Aware of Past Parenting Practices • The Relationship with Your Grown Child Today • Sibling Rivalry • Seeing the Connections • Forgiving Your Child |
| 6 |
Beyond Advice: Enlightened Communication |
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Recognizing Past Barriers to Good Communication • Keeping Your Eye on the Prize • Evolving Your Communication Style • Look for a Good Opening • Atonement • Appreciating Differences |
| 7 |
Mutual Love, Individual Responsibility |
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When Grown Children Cleave to Their Parents • When They Make Bad Choices and Cry “Help” • Money • Grandparents: The Right Kind of Closeness • When Grown Kids Become Alienated |
| 8 |
Uninvited Intervention |
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Ready for Action • Life-Threatening Problems • When Is It Just Meddling? • When Grown Children Resist Help • When They’re Just Having a Hard Time • Unconditional Love |
| 9 |
Enjoying Your Grown Children |
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Obligations • The Head of the Table • Family Traditions • Brainstorming |
| 10 |
Coming up with Your Strategy |
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Organizations That Can Help |
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References and Resources |
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Index |
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Acknowledgments |
